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Residents tell Minnehaha County commission ES&S laptops may lack EAC certification; commissioners ask for evidence
Summary
Multiple public commenters alleged ES&S provided non‑EAC‑certified laptops and that HAVA funds were used for noncompliant equipment; the commission asked speakers to provide evidence and said staff will follow up.
Several residents used the meeting's public‑comment period to allege problems with the county's election equipment and to urge a review of past purchases.
Gary Meyer told the commission members of a canvassing team had ‘‘investigat[ed] the equipment being used in our elections’’ and alleged ‘‘ES and S has provided uncertified election management system laptops since at least 2018,’’ referencing a March 2024 purchase order he said Minnehaha County obtained via FOIA. Meyer said the laptop he reviewed ‘‘is not on the list of certified machines according to the EAC’’ and that it included a ‘‘dual band wireless card,’’ which he said made the machine capable of connecting to the internet.
Cindy Meyer reiterated that ‘‘when you agree to the use of [HAVA] federal funds, you have to agree to comply by the rules’’ and said the county auditor had previously reported the laptop was not on the certified list. She said if the equipment used in past elections was not on the EAC list, ‘‘every election conducted on that laptop has been out of compliance with the South Dakota codified law and therefore it is illegal.’’
Other speakers raised related concerns about OCONUS/OCAVA ballots, vote tabulation and broader election integrity issues. Several asked the commission to require certified equipment and to review how federal funds were spent.
In response, a commissioner said they would like to see the evidence cited and asked county staff to work with the speakers and auditor to provide clarity. The commission did not take formal action at the meeting but several members emphasized maintaining public trust and legal compliance as priorities.
The allegations in public comment referenced the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) certification process and South Dakota codified law 12‑17B‑2; speakers also referenced the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The commission invited the presenters and county staff to follow up with documentary evidence.
